Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-03-03
TOBACCO AS A NECESSITY.

TOBACCO AS A NECESSITY
Its Enormous Consumption in Various Forms
by Amerisan Citizens.
A correspondent writing from Wash
lngton on the above subject saws: Wheth-
er tobacco is a luxury or a necessity in
our daily economy is a disputed question,
but judging from the quantity annually
consumed 1t would seem that tobacco is
very generally used by the people of the
United States, and that it must be nee
essity TO no inconsiderable portion of
them. Those who have not analysed the
figures collected by the Internal Revenue
Department have no conception of the
extent TO which tobaceo is used in this
country. Tea is classified as one of the
daily necessities of life and enters into
very general use, yet compared with the
annual consumption of tea that of to-
bacco presents a very remarkable con-
trast. The importation of tea into the
United States during the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1886, was sO,399,S61 pounds
the appraised value of which was S16,-
100000. Assuming that two-thirds of the
sixty millions Of people of the United
States are adults and consumers of tea,
the per capiti expenditure of money on
this account Is about 40 cents.
Compare these figures with those
showing the annagl consumption of to-
bacco. During the last fiscal year the
quality of manufactured tobacco upon
which tax was paid was 1S5,426, 1913
pounds, and as the tax is not paid until
the tobacco is to be withdrawn from bond
for consumption those figures may be
oc cd To he
tually used. Snuff and cigars are not in
cluded In these figures, which are confined
to manufactured tobacco prepared in
plug and packages for chewing and
smoking. Assumed that the same pro-
portion of the people use tobacco that
use tea, it will be found that the per capt.
ia consumption of this article is three
and one-half pounds of tobacco against
two pounds of tea. The amount of tax
paid on manufactured tobacco last year
was $14, 1886, o96, sum nearly equal to
the aggregate appraised value Of all
the tea imported during that p,ried.
The figures showing the number of CT
gars annually consumed are equally in
teresting. Cigars upon which tax was
paid last year foot up $3.50, 1894, 4SS. The
average length of cigars is four inches.
If the cigars upon which tax was paid
last year were laid singly in row they
would extend around the earth nine
times. Laid in a streight line they would
extend 221 GAS miles. Distributed among
the entire population of the United
States each person would receive 5S15
cigars. If it be assumed that one-half
of the people smoke the per capt. con-
sumption was equal to LII cigars.
The consumption of cigarettes also
presents interesting figures, aud shows
that the percentage Of increase is greater
in cigarr.ttes than in cigars. Tax was
paid last year on 1910, 1891 1850 cigarettes
an increase of 252, 212, 122, over the pre-
ced ing year, while the increase in cigars
consumed during the same period was
151 1926, 955. The amount of tax collected
last year on cigars was $19,532 1904, and
on cigarettes 1856, $50. The total amount
collected during the year on cigars and
tobacco through the internal Revenue
Department was $27,907,3 1868. In addi-
ton to this amount there was collected
throughout the Custom House for duties
on imported tobacco and cigars SS,411,-
la. Adding these two items gives $780,
218,476 as the aggregate of the tax paid
last year to the government for cigars
60 cents per capitj upon the entire popu-
lation. It is within bounds to estimate
the value of the tobacco and cigars con-
sumed at four times the amount of the
tax paid. On this basis the people of
the United States paid last year for these
articles S181, O92,380. or more than So
for every man, woman and child in the
country.
The appraised value of all the coffee
imported for the year ending June 80,
1886, was 1875, 800, and of the tea $15.-
77O,827. For tax alone on onr chewing
and smoking there was expended over
$4,000, and for the articles themselves
exclusive of the tax, about $145,OOO,OOO.
These facts and figures seem to Justify
the claim that tobacco has become to our
people as great necessity as tea or
coffee,